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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · court · wax · pitch · pit · branch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — a division
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — a hole
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com